Tag Archives: spinning

Spinning From The Flurry

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It’s been about one month since I touched my wheel. I decided to get back into the flow over the weekend. I grabbed the small 2 oz custom batt I bought at Fiber Flurry 2022.

This bat is VERY fluffy and VERY sparkly. It sheds more than my daycare providers German Shepherd in the spring. There are only 2 ounces of this fiber so I will just spin the whole thing onto one bobbin and then 2-ply back on itself.

I am a little out of practice so I reasoned that going back to my “default” spin would be a nice warm up to get my fingers back into the groove. Happy Spinning!!

Fiber From The Flurry

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Since I can’t really knit right now, I decided to organize my Fiber Flurry purchases. Turns out, I bough all fiber!

On top, there is some merino and assorted fiber batt from HLA Fiber Mill. It’s just over 2 ounces and will make a cute skein in PB’s color scheme.

On the bottom left is 4.7 ounces of alpaca and firestar roving. IT’S SO SUPER SOFT! This was leftover It’s from Grey Meadows Alpaca farm and is the leftovers from their mill runs. I got a chance to chat with the owner and he was super fun.

Lastly, on the bottom right is a new to me sheep breed – Finn Sheep. I grabbed three ounces of the natural color dark brown. I will need to pull out my fiber/fleece source book in order to learn more about the breed. But these sheep are from the 14 Hand Ranch.

I think either the Finn or the pink batt will be the first on my wheel once my hand is back to normal! Happy Spinning!!

Spinning Lamb Again

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My wheel has been a little quite lately. I decided to pull out a the fiber and partial bobbin of lamb I started way back when.

This custom blend is a longwool mix. It’s very different from the merino and other fibers I have been spinning. I’m not sure I am enjoying it, to be honest. I am about halfway through the fiber. I am really having a hard time mustering the desire to spin this. There is nothing wrong with it and I am making successful singles. It just feels like a slog.

I may put this back in timeout and pull out some different fiber that brings me joy?

Fiber Flurry

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I set aside some time this past weekend to attend a new and new to me fiber festival. It was a little bit of a hike for me, over an hours drive but I persisted. It was called Fiber Flurry and when I arrived I only found 5 vendors. So that was a little disappointing but they also had a burrito truck outside which helped heal my soul.

The small number of vendors didn’t stop me from buying some new stuff. I’ll line out what what I purchased on a different day. But it was a few bits and bobs to tuck into Christmas packages and mostly fiber to spin with.

Mostly, it was a lovely afternoon to myself with no office work and no domestic labor. I even stopped off at my favorite winery for a glass (or two) of mulled win. And I felt pretty cheeky because my curls were on point!

Happy Self Care and let’s get this week started right!

FO Friday: Cotton Candy Yarn

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Whelp, I have another finished skein! This is a VERY energetic 3-ply skein that my 4 year old has proclaimed BEAUTIFUL!

This calculated out to be an aran to bulky weight skein. I got 84 yards in a 78 gram skein. After plying and washing, the yarn is still twisting back on itself. Which means I overplied it. I can run this skein back through my wheel in the opposite direction to let some that relax. But for now, I’m done touching cotton candy and I need to spin something else.

This fiber is great and it was cool for a mystery grab bag, but it’s not my jam. So I feel grateful for the learning experience and I’m on to the next thing!

Happy Spinning!!

Finished Cotton Candy Singles

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My big floofy bat is all the way spun. I had a very interesting time with this fiber blend that looked like mixed up cotton candy.

The bat was three ounces in total and a blend of merino, rambioullet, mulberry silk, angelina, firestar and targhee. The bat was made by Melissa’s Yarn Barn and it didn’t come with composition percentages. I could feel the silk come up and be very slippery meanwhile the merino drafted very differently from the rambioullet and targhee.

All the fiber fit on one bobbin and I plan to chain play the whole thing. Which means I will end up smaller and thicker skein. But these colors aren’t my usual jam so this might be a donation skein or end up being a winter hat.

Happy Spinning!!

Spinning Cotton Candy Batt

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Next up on my wheel is some beyond bonkers cotton candy looking mixed fiber. I am calling this my Cotton Candy spinning because it looks like someone mashed together blue and pink cotton candy.

This fiber is a 3 ounce mystery batt. The note says it includes merino, rambioullet, mulberry silk, Angelina, Firestar and targhee. It’s not spinning the finest or the smoothest because of the fiber prep and the mix of wools. But I am just letting the fiber be what it wants to be!

I haven’t decided it I will spin this on to multiple bobbins or spin it all on one and ply from a cake. I’m leaning towards the second but I am fresh off my “learning” experiences from the last time I did that! Happy Spinning!!

A Finished Daffodil 2-ply

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My very barber poled Daffodil 2-ply is off the wheel and out of its bath. It’s not my normal color story but it came out very lovely.

This yarn is mostly a heavy DK weight with some thicker spots popping up now and then. It came out to 176 yards in a 122 gram skein. It just screams spring flowers with all those colors mixed together. The Romney is not next to skin soft, at least for me. But this would make great yarn for a hat or accessories.

I do plan to gift this yarn to a work fiber friend. Kinda worried I will freak her out as we have only met in the virtual world, lol. But I have come to value our collaboration and I enjoy sending joy to others.

Happy Spinning!!

A Couple Of Bobbins

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It turns out I am getting better and faster about going through four ounces of fiber. My 100% romney in Waiting for Daffodils colorway has found its way onto two bobins.

This fiber is a mix of blues, yellows, greens and eve some pinky orange. The singles came out nice and easy. It’s getting easier to get a finer single but I still struggle with pieces that come out thick where the fibers might be a little felted or clumped. I am able to fix some and some just go through as “character”.

I am hoping to have some time this weekend to get these singles plied up. I made a new fiber friend in my work world and I think this skein (if it turns out) will be a gift.

Happy Spinning!!

Everything Coming Up Daffodils

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After finishing my Deep Regret 2-ply I decided to work another smaller project. I seem to be all about the instant gratification!

This Romney is not as soft the merino I have been working with and find I need to pre-draft a little bit more. I split the braid in half and then those half again to make thinner fiber. And as I spin I am opening up the fiber to make a thinner single.

My kids and husband were on the Switch before school/daycare so I took my wheel and my coffee outside for 10 minutes to spin before work. It was sunny, cool and calm. The last I saw of those things that day. Work has upended once again and is causing me more responsibility and stress but that’s a post for another day!

Happy Spinning!!